A little while ago we posted news of a prototype cartridge for The Legend of Zelda on eBay, with the seller pricing it at $150,000 — though ultimately it went for around $55,000. Today brings another NES cartridge with a price tag to make the eyes water; this time it's a copy of Final Fantasy II on NES for $50,000.

The seller, eBay user fefea, has provided some history on the product page to explain why this cartridge is, assuming its authenticity, rare enough to justify its high price. Final Fantasy II — the original NES sequel — didn't get a worldwide release, meaning it was only playable in Japanese, while the Final Fantasy II on Super NES that most know was actually Final Fantasy IV in Japan. What this listing hopes to prove is that publisher Square Soft USA had at one point intended to release the first NES sequel in North America.

In terms of the authenticity of the cartridge, plenty of images have been posted, with the back story being that the publisher had produced it to be shown off at the 1991 Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The seller has owned this copy for about nine years, and despite the label marking it as a 'sample', it apparently plays the entire game in localised English.

You can check out the eBay page for yourself if you want to see more, with the seller's cat making two cameo appearances in the photos. Another rare cartridge going for big money: any wealthy collectors out there?

Welsh ex-pat Tom is responsible for the day-to-day running of the site. He's the guy to thank for the generally brilliant nature of the content which massages your eyeballs on a daily basis. Also has an unhealthy obsession with all things Bowser.